Canada’s population got younger for the first time in over half a decade, thanks to immigration

Canada’s population got younger for the first time since 1971, driven by Trudeau government’s open immigration policies.

The median age of people living in Canada in 2022 edged down to 41, the first decline in more than five decades, according to data released by Statistics Canada, the national statistics agency.

The median age had climbed steadily from 26.2 in 1971 to 41.1 last year as the population ages.


The population of Canada also rose by 0.7% to 38.9 million in the second quarter of 2022. That’s the highest pace for quarterly growth since 1957 and represents an increase of about 3,100 people per day.

The latest estimates highlight the North American country's ambition in expanding its working-age population quickly by bringing in newcomers to replace aging workers who are leaving the labor force.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government set a target to welcome a record number of new permanent residents -- more than 1.3 million -- over the next three years.

From April 1 to July 1, international migration accounted for a gain of nearly 270,000 people, or 95% of the quarterly growth, the highest increase from international migration since comparable records have existed in 1971.

Immigration has been one of the main drivers of the Canadian economy, and accounts for almost all of the nation’s employment growth.

Starting next year, the federal government plans to begin targeting newcomers in specific occupations to ensure better matching with industries suffering the most intense labor shortages.